A republic and member of the Commonwealth, Trinidad and Tobago consists of two islands in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela. Area: 5,128 sq km (1,980 sq mi). Pop. (1993 est.): 1,249,000. Cap.: Port of Spain. Monetary unit: Trinidad and Tobago dollar, with (Oct. 4, 1993) a free rate of TT$5.48 to U.S. $1 (TT$8.30 = £1 sterling). President in 1993, Noor Mohammad Hassanali; prime minister, Patrick Manning.

Nucor Corp., a leading U.S. steel company, agreed in January 1993 to establish the world’s first commercialized iron carbide plant at the Point Lisas industrial estate in central Trinidad. It was designed to produce 320,000 metric tons a year for export to the firm’s plants in the U.S.

In March the government began its privatization program in earnest when it sold its 51% interest in the Fertilisers of Trinidad and Tobago’s (Fertrin) ammonia plant and its 100% holding in the Trinidad and Tobago Urea Co. for U.S. $175 million. The government was to sell at least 28 of the 32 corporations in which it had 100% interest.

The Trinidad and Tobago dollar was made freely convertible and allowed to float on the foreign exchange market in April. A depreciation of 26% against the U.S. dollar immediately took place. The measure was designed to create confidence in the Trinidad and Tobago dollar, attract investment, and encourage exports.

In June a major expansion of methanol capacity was announced under which two German firms bought 31% of the state-owned Trinidad and Tobago Methanol Co. The plant was to be expanded so as to produce an additional 550,000 metric tons a year, enabling the country to produce over 1.6 million metric tons of methanol by 1996, making Trinidad and Tobago the world’s largest methanol exporter.

In August Prime Minister Patrick Manning, along with four other Caribbean leaders, met U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton in Washington, D.C., to explain that the Caribbean Community policy of forging closer links with Cuba could be accommodated within the framework of overall U.S. policy.

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island country of the southeastern West Indies. It consists of two main islands—Trinidad and Tobago—and several smaller islands. Forming the two southernmost links in the Caribbean chain, Trinidad and Tobago lie close to the continent of South America, northeast of Venezuela and...